Our Mission: To provide a holistic network of support and programs for Veterans, their families, and the community wherein participants will achieve economic empowerment through Education, Employment, and Entrepreneurship.
The Veterans Enterprise Training & Services Group, Inc. (dba: VETS Group Training Academy) was founded in 2004 by Joe Wynn, President/CEO and a veteran of the US Air Force; as a nonprofit 501(c)3, community-based organization. The VETS Group expanded to
form the VETS Group Training Academy to offer workforce preparation training programs supported by leading organizations in the IT industry: Cisco, Comptia, Microsoft, Amazon, EC Council, and Google. Students are able to acquire the skills needed to start or expand their
careers for good paying jobs in IT or Telecommunications.
The VETS Group has strong roots in Washington, D.C., and the Greater Washington Metro Area to include Maryland and Virginia. All programs and services are open to Veterans, non- veterans, people of color, women, seniors, persons with disabilities or of limited means – homeless, formerly incarcerated, unemployed, under-employed, and dislocated workers.
We provide training to assist students in obtaining education, training, hands on experience, industry recognized certifications, and resources needed to gain meaningful employment for a living wage and a sustainable career. Our certified staff draw from a wealth of cumulative knowledge and industry experience, creating a valuable organization ready to serve students with the professional training and education they seek.
The VETS Group Training Academy is an approved site for IT certification-based training programs for: (1) Microsoft, (2) CompTIA, (3) Cisco, and (4) Amazon. Our programs are approved by the DC Higher Education Licensure Commission, the Maryland Department of Higher Education, the Virginia Workforce Agency, and the Dept. of Veterans Affairs. We presently serve as an Eligible Training Provider for the American Jobs Centers (AJCs) in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.
Leadership Team
Joe Wynn
President - Board Chairman, US Air Force Veteran
Veterans Enterprise Training & Services Group, Inc. (VETS Group)
Joe Wynn, Founder/CEO VETS Group IT Training Academy, a non-
profit organization in Washington D.C. helping Veterans, their
families, and the community to achieve economic empowerment
through Education, Training & Entrepreneurship.
Joe served as an Air Force Vietnam-era veteran with the 66th
Strategic Missile Squadron. BA in Computer Information Systems, an
MBA, a Doctorate in Humanities, and pursuing a PhD at Howard
University. A Certified Microsoft Computer and AI Specialist.
For over 20 years, Joe has served in various roles: Vice Chair Veterans Entrepreneurship
Task Force, Special Advisor for Vietnam Veterans of America, Legislative Liaison for
National Association for Black Veterans, Advisory Committee on Veterans Employment,
Training and Employer Outreach for the Department of Labor, Chairman of the Veterans
Affairs Committee NAACP-DC, Mayor's Veterans Advisory Board District of Columbia, and
Veterans Champion of the Year for the SBA.
Ron S. Washington
Board Vice Chair, Treasurer, USMC Veteran President/CEO, Premier Secours Med Supply Co.
Ron is a seasoned business professional with a wealth of experience in communications, marketing and sales. He is the retired Chairman of the Board for AirGo, a construction, facility support & product distribution company, based in Las Vegas, NV with offices in Atlanta. The company is a verified SDVOSB, and Ron is a decorated, U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam, combat veteran.
He has a B.S. degree in Business from Chicago State University, Chicago, IL, and a Master of Science in Communication (MSC) degree from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He belongs to several commerce, communication, public relations and industry specific professional associations.
He is a keynote speaker, workshop trainer and subject matter expert on communications, marketing & sales, emerging market consumer and community issues, as well as veteran and other small business development strategies. He resides in Las Vegas, NV.
Susan Rouse
Cybersecurity executive, program leader
Susan Rouse is a cybersecurity executive, program leader, Lead CMMC Certified Assessor, and CMMC Certified Instructor with more than 30 years of experience across cybersecurity, compliance, risk management, information technology, healthcare, and government contracting.
As CEO of AG Grace, Inc., Susan combines leadership with expertise to help Defense Industrial Base, government, healthcare, and commercial organizations strengthen security, satisfy regulatory and contractual obligations, and prepare for formal assessments. Her work includes CMMC readiness, NIST SP 800-171 implementation, CUI protection, evidence evaluation, control validation, gap assessments, documentation, interview preparation, remediation planning, and sustainable compliance programs.
Susan has led cybersecurity initiatives involving strategic planning, governance, secure networks and systems, policy development, vulnerability management, budgets, resources, teams, and client relationships. Her experience includes leadership roles with Computer Sciences Corporation, Deloitte & Touche LLP, IBM, Unisys, and public-sector healthcare organizations.
Susan holds an MPA from Golden Gate University and a BA from Rutgers University. Her credentials include CISSP, CISM, PMP, Lead CMMC Certified Assessor, and CMMC Certified Instructor. She participates in ISSA, ISACA, (ISC)², FISSEA, and PMI.
Kim Harwell
Board Member, Minority Business Owner President/CEO, National Bid Network
Kim Harwell is a consummate entrepreneur. He has more than thirty years of business and expertise in the government, telecommunications, and marketing fields. Kim regularly writes articles for the Cyber Security Magazine and has written articles for numerous other publications. He has also written numerous E-Books on government contracting and is in the process of writing his new book, “The Blueprint to Government Contracting”. Kim Harwell is a highly sought after speaker, trainer, sales coach and expert in the areas of sales, business, government relations, and technological advances.
Kim is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of National Bid Network (NBN) and its subsidiary GovPurchase. NBN’s mission is to provide user friendly research tools, business training, consulting services, and B2B business development tools for commercial businesses, government contractors, and government officials, in a profitable manner, at an affordable price. GovPurchase assists thousands of companies worldwide in identifying federal, state and local prime contracting, subcontracting, teaming and commercial business.
Rhonda Smith
Board Member, US Army & Air Force Veteran
President/CEO Strategic Solution, LLC
Rhonda Smith has served our nation honorably in the US Army and the US Air Force. She has worked with several federal agencies since her military career. Her duties included sales strategy development and deployment of technological solutions to address business issues.
She also developed a timetable for the study, application, and testing of the technology collaborated with internal technical teams to guarantee consistency in usage.
She has created technical user guides with technical instructions in clear commercial language. Her duties included investigating a company’s IT architecture and system, finding holes, inefficiencies, and problems with IT systems, establishing a project completion timetable while taking the needs of the business into consideration and putting in place a technological solution to fulfill business needs. She also was responsible for evaluating and detecting security issues, advising on technological best practices, and working with the internal technical team to ensure tech competency.
She has a BA degree in business from Liberty University and holds multiple IT certifications in Security+ CEH, and Project Management.
Anthony "Tony" Williams
Board Member, US Army Colonel (Ret’d)
Over his 30-year military career, Colonel Williams has demonstrated performance in high-pressure, dynamic environments. He executes a leadership approach that emphasizes decision-making through active listening and management to enhance organizational performance.
He is known to be a creative analytical thinker with a systems-oriented approach to facilitate efficient and effective solutions. He served at various duty stations globally as an Integration Officer, Division Chief G-8, Chief CIO/G6 Netcom Operations, Deputy Brigade Commander, Battalion Commander, Watch Officer & Chief Operations Divisions and Signal Corps Officer.
During his military career one of his numerous assignments was to maintain 100% accountability of resources for Information Technology / Command and Control service organizations in Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. He provided oversight on all aspects of program execution, including funding, product/service delivery, and employee development/turnover that continuously improved the communications infrastructure.
After retiring from the military in 2016, Colonel Williams served as a Senior Associate with Booz Allen Hamilton. EDUCATION & TRAINING: Army War College, Master of Strategic Studies; Webster University, MBA; Northeast Missouri State University, BA Science. Army Officer Classification: 25A, Signal Officer.
Staff
Queen Jones
Public Relations Specialist
Ms. Jones is an exceptionally detailed, organized, and highly accurate administrative professional with a unique ability to successfully manage multiple projects. Previously a Management and Program Assistant with the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, she has proven competencies as an office support staff member with the ability to empower others and foster a cohesive business environment. She delivers outstanding results, leading to increased levels of responsibility. She has well-developed interpersonal communication skills to work effectively with people from diverse professional and cultural backgrounds. Technically proficient in MS Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
Ms. Jones is responsible for connecting with local community based professional organizations for marketing and promoting the VETS Group programs to the public. She is expected to travel to various community activities as well as plan and coordinate outreach activities in designated areas that are intended to identify and capture the interest of veterans and non-veteran community members that meet program requirements.
Faith DeVeaux
Administrative Enrollment Specialist
Ms. DeVeaux has 20+ years of professional experience supporting non-profit, Federal and contracting agencies. She has provided administrative support and office organization for senior leaders and office personnel. She has experience in management, communication, analytical thinking, technical expertise, and problem-solving. Implemented guidance and procedures to support office operations and administer programs and identify milestones. She also has program management experience planning and budgeting for resource requirements.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Humanities and a Master of Science degree in management. She is proficient in MS Office Suite, In Design, FileMaker Pro, Knowledge Management, MS Project, Visio, Accounting, and SharePoint. She currently plans and coordinates activities and programs at the VETS Group in addition to performing crucial operational tasks. Her duties include assisting with the program’s planning and coordination, creating, maintaining, and updating student records using Excel spreadsheets. She manages communications through media relations, social media, fostering positive relationships with outside organizations that refer students for training, planning meetings and events. She maintains an agenda, using appropriate technology for all administrative procedures.
Vera Batey
Student Advisor
Mrs. Vera Batey has over the past 40 years in various positions involving, social work, administration, counseling, employee health, and case management of planning patient care and discharge planning. Proficient in the bureaucratic processes for legal compliance of employee State and Federal Medical Leave laws, such as Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) as well as Employee Health Programs (EHP) benefits, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and Workers Compensation forms for patients undergoing treatment for medical injury/accident claims. In addition, she has experience in teaching Organizational Behavior courses at University of Phoenix and Behavioral Health Counseling for Substance Use Disorders.
Vera serves as the Student Advisor at VETS Group. She oversees student enrollment cases as the academic advisor. She gives advice to students about their academic choices and consults with them regarding their personal health and family matters. She runs the orientation for new students. She participates in community outreach services that inform employee/employer workplace wage and leave laws and encourage legal compliance to employers and healthcare providers.
She holds a Master of Human Services Degree from Lincoln University in PA. She obtained a specialization in Counseling Older Adults from Walden University in Minneapolis, MN. She is a Board-Certified Professional Counselor and a Certified Associate Counselor for Alcohol and Drugs. She is also recognized by the American Psychotherapy Association and the State of Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists.
IT Support
Aumed Darbandi
IT Services Project Manager
Innovative and results-driven IT Services Project Manager with more than 30 years of diverse technology experience, applying IT solutions to achieve strategic business goals. Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams of engineers, technical professionals, and vendors; manage project risks , and build strong, productive relationships with stakeholders.
Recognized for delivering high-quality solutions on time and within budget. Extensive experience managing the installation, implementation, integration, security, and administration of hardware and software solutions for organizations ranging from entrepreneurial start-ups to major financial institutions. Skilled in ServiceNow for IT service management, incident and change management, workflow coordination, and service delivery. Knowledgeable in Microsoft Azure Active Directory (Microsoft Entra ID), Microsoft Intune, device enrollment and management, identity and access management, security policies, and Microsoft cloud administration.
Highly effective in managing every phase of the project life cycle, from needs assessment and planning through implementation, monitoring, and completion. Adept at defining and directing project goals, objectives, milestones, critical success factors, budgets, schedules, and risk-mitigation strategies. A supportive leader and collaborative team player committed to operational excellence, organizational success, and delivering measurable business value.
Aumed is also the President and CEO of Nova HiTech, Inc., a Northern Virginia–based company providing professional managed IT services and technology solutions.